Bright Light Therapy because you don't have to be S.A.D

I thought I'd blog about something topical based on the season that quickly approaches... Winter!  

SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter.  It is more prevalent in regions farther away from the earths equator. 

The first line of treatment recommended by many doctors for seasonal affective disorder is bright light therapy. This involves the patient sitting in front of a "light box", an artificial source of bright light, for a certain period every day. This can range from 30 minutes to several hours, either in the morning or afternoon, or sometimes both. Bright light therapy with light boxes has been shown in many studies over the years to be a very effective treatment for most SAD sufferers, providing at least a modest improvement in symptoms in nearly everyone. As such, bright light therapy can be a very important treatment for the SAD patient, especially since it is not always possible to get outside in natural sunlight every day during the winter.

Light boxes have a "lux" rating, which is simply an indication of the intensity of the light they produce. Most studies into light therapy for the treatment of seasonal affective disorder have used light boxes with a rating of 10,000 lux and these are widely available to the public. Light boxes with lower lux ratings are also available but treatment periods will need to be longer to produce the same positive effects as a shorter period in front of a 10,000 lux unit. 

Possible but rare minor side effects include jumpiness/jitteriness (8.8%), headache (8.4%), and nausea (15.9%).  These symptoms are usually very mild and can often be eliminated by adjusting the period of light exposure.

So if you think you may suffer from SAD, talk to your health care professional about the benefits of Bright Light Therapy.

Other options for SAD treatment include the following supplements:

Vit D (deficiency is linked to many health issues including depression

Melatonin (at night to help induce better sleep)

St. Johns Wart (improves mood)

Omega Fatty Acids, 5-HTP and SAMe (natural antidepressants)